More calls for constituencies to split

More calls for constituencies to split

Martin Endjala Several communities across the country have proposed the creation of their own constituencies for better service delivery. This trend emerged during ongoing consultation meetings with the Boundaries Delimitation and Demarcation Commission in the Khomas region. The residents of the informal settlements in Havana and Goreangab are the latest community to express a desire for representation. They are currently part of the Samora Machel Constituency. Affirmative Repositioning Movement (AR) Khomas region chairperson and youth community leader Sem David of the Samora Machel Community Development Committee (CDC) and community members rejected the border demarcation commission's decision to split the Samora…
Read More
Undocumented persons struggle to register for voter cards

Undocumented persons struggle to register for voter cards

Martin Endjala Although voter card registration in the Ndiyona Constituency in the Kavango East region is progressing well, undocumented people find it hard to register. On Thursday, Ndiyona constituency councillor, Mukoya Laurentius, told the Windhoek Observer that he had not encountered any hiccups at most of the registration points. Laurentius said he has received complaints from undocumented people who want to register but are unable to do so because they lack identity documentation. “We do not have any challenge. The only challenge we have is documenting those who are undocumented. The mass state documentation capturing programme by the Ministry of…
Read More
Who is learning what from who between Namibia and South Africa?

Who is learning what from who between Namibia and South Africa?

“You will not be able to stay home, brother You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out You will not be able to lose yourself on skag And skip out for beer during commercials, because The revolution will not be televised”. Goes the opening lyrics from the song by Gill Scott-Heron, pioneer of rap music. I relived the song live at Hyde Park in the late 1980s while performing live during the days of agitation for the end of Apartheid capitalism colonialism in Namibia, and likewise the reform of Apartheid in South Africa. Reform of…
Read More
Oceana’s horse mackerel sales volumes drop

Oceana’s horse mackerel sales volumes drop

CHAMWE KAIRA Oceana Group’s horse mackerel sales volumes in Namibia reduced by 20,5% mainly due to a reduction in catch rates. Oceana said firm market demand, together with the benefit of the weaker exchange rate on US dollar export sales, resulted in an improvement in rand prices partially offsetting the volume reduction. The company said an improvement in fishing days and vessel utilisation resulted in hake sales volumes increasing by 20,8%. “Industry wide catch rates remained below historical average for the period with some improvement experienced in the second quarter,” the company said. The total allowable catch for pilchards in…
Read More
MICC Properties records N$44 million profit

MICC Properties records N$44 million profit

MICC Properties Namibia (Pty) Ltd, recorded a profit of N$44 million for the year ended 30 March 2024 compared to N$41 million in the previous year. The company controls 269 Independence, Katutura Shopping Centre, and retail centres in Ondangwa, Oshakati and Oshikango. Vukile Property Fund of South Africa has a 36% interest in MICC Properties Namibia. The group said opening balance at carrying value at N$134 million compared to N$119 million in 2023. Rental revenue during the period was N$137 million compared to N$129 million in 2023. MICC said net operating income was N$86 million while profit was N$44 million…
Read More
Government to borrow N$15 billion

Government to borrow N$15 billion

The 2024/25 financial year borrowing plan released by the Bank of Namibia outlines a net financing need of N$15.3 billion for the financial year, including a significant Eurobond maturing in October 2025. The Bank of Namibia plans to source funds primarily through local government debt securities and external debt financing. The strategy includes raising N$12,8 billion from the domestic market, N$8,8 billion from fixed-rate bonds, N$2,9 billion from Treasury Bills (TBs), and N$1,1 billion from inflation-linked bonds. “A new fixed rate bond may be issued later in the year. If the domestic target is not met, a JSE-listed fixed-rate bond…
Read More
Germany has given Namibia N$32b since 1990

Germany has given Namibia N$32b since 1990

Germany’s official development assistance since Namibia's independence until 2023 amounts to approximately 1,6 billion Euro (roughly N$32 billion). In per-capita terms, Namibia is thus the largest recipient of German development cooperation in Africa, according to figures released German Embassy Windhoek. Employment creation, poverty reduction and reducing inequality is a central component of the relations between Namibia and Germany. The National Planning Commission and the Federal Republic of Germany, have since signed two government agreements on financial cooperation and technical cooperation between Namibia and Germany. These agreements cover three new programmes to the value of 19 million Euros (currently approximately, N$386…
Read More
Alexander Forbes has N$14m outstanding on loan

Alexander Forbes has N$14m outstanding on loan

Alexander Forbes Namibia Holdings Proprietary Limited has an outstanding principal of N$14 million on its of N$28 million loan it got in December 2020 for the refurbishment of the Namibia head office. The Senior Debt Facility (SDF) is an unsecured five-year term loan facility. Alexander Forbes Financial Services Namibia Proprietary Limited has provided a guarantee to the lender for this obligation. The outstanding principal of N$14 million and outstanding interest are payable at maturity, the company said. In December 2020 Alexander Forbes Namibia obtained a senior debt facility (SDF) of N$28 million dollars to finance the capital expenditure on the…
Read More
Namibia ranked 8th in gender gap

Namibia ranked 8th in gender gap

Namibia has been ranked in the top 10 in the Global Gender Gap by the World Economic Forum. Out of the 35 economies included in the group, 21 are in the top 100, and one, Namibia, is in the top 10. The top five performers in the region are Namibia (8th, 80,5%), South Africa (18th, 78,5%), Mozambique (27th, 77,6%), Burundi (38th, 75,7%), and Rwanda (39th, 75,7%). Over half of Sub Saharan African countries (18) have closed over 70% of their gender gap, and only Chad trails behind the two-thirds mark (57,6%). World Economic Forum said that in sixth place, Sub-Saharan…
Read More
Etango makes progress towards mining

Etango makes progress towards mining

Bannerman Energy Limited has announced significant further de-risking of its Etango uranium development in the Erongo Region through the completion of the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) and Control Budget Estimate (CBE) processes. The company said the completion of FEED and the CBE has refined the outcomes of the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) undertaken in late 2022, delivering enhanced accuracy and key cost estimates. Bannerman is currently undertaking early works construction activities for Etango-8, in parallel with offtake marketing and strategic financing works streams. Commenting on these outcomes, Bannerman Chief Executive Officer, Gavin Chamberlain, said: “The early development of our…
Read More